December 5, 2008

Huskies set to hire Sarkisian

There are multiple reports out of Seattle that the Washington Huskies are set to hire USC OC Steve Sarkisian following the USC-UCLA game this weekend.

USC assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian has been offered the Washington football coaching job, a source within the UW athletic department and another source with knowledge of the hiring process confirmed late Thursday.

If Sarkisian accepts, no announcement would be made until after the Trojans play UCLA on Saturday.

USC coach Pete Carroll did not return phone calls Thursday seeking comment, and Sarkisian deflected questions about the Huskies job during a news conference in Los Angeles.

ESPN first reported that Sarkisian would be Tyrone Willingham's successor at Washington, citing multiple anonymous sources.

It was reported that U-Dub sent text messages to the current players announcing that a new coach had been hired and a team meeting would be held on Sunday. Husky AD Scott Woodward has denied that the team sent a message and also denied that anyone had been hired yet. No details on potential contract terms have been announced.

Sarkisian commented on the rumors of his hiring to reporters last night.

"I have interviewed with Washington. They've interviewed a lot of people," he said in a press release. "I'm one of some number of candidates, which I'm honored to be. Nothing has been finalized in any way, shape, or form.

"There's been some communication and some facets, but nothing has been put down in writing one way or the other. As far as I am concerned, I'm a candidate for the job, and I'm honored to be one. I think it's a great job. It's one that's a great program in the Pac-10 and in the country. As of right now, Thursday night, my focus is on winning a Pac-10 championship on Saturday."

At this point, neither Sarkisian nor UW have confirmed the reports; however, it would certianly add context to the decisions of Texas Tech coach Mike Leach and Fresno State coach Pat Hill to withdraw from the search yesterday afternoon. That said, it's still not clear to me if UDub pulled the trigger on Sarkisian before or after the rumors of Leach to Auburn began to surface.

Sarkisian would definitely be a good, young (34) hire for Washington. Despite his lack of head coaching experience, Sarkisian has been on the sidelines since 2000 as an assistant in the NFL and at Southern Cal, among others. A former QB under Norm Chow, he is largely credited with re-establishing the Trojans offense after Chow departed.

I know a lot of UDub fans are fond of Leach, but I think this is probably the best hire that Washington could have made at this point.

Posted by Kevin Donahue

Comments:

Huskies set to hire Sarkisian
There are multiple reports out of Seattle that the Washington Huskies are set to hire USC OC Steve Sarkisian following the USC-UCLA game this weekend.
USC assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian has been offered the Washington football coaching job, a source within the UW athletic department and another source with knowledge of the hiring process confirmed late Thursday. If Sarkisian accepts, no announcement would be made until after the Trojans play UCLA on Saturday. USC coach Pete Carroll did not return phone calls Thursday seeking comment, and Sarkisian deflected questions about the Huskies job during a news conference in Los Angeles. ESPN first reported that Sarkisian would be Tyrone Willingham's successor at Washington, citing multiple anonymous sources.
It was reported that U-Dub sent text messages to the current players announcing that a new coach had been hired and a team meeting would be held on Sunday. Husky AD Scott Woodward has denied that the team sent a message and also denied that anyone had been hired yet. No details on potential contract terms have been announced. Sarkisian commented on the rumors of his hiring to reporters last night.
"I have interviewed with Washington. They've interviewed a lot of people," he said in a press release. "I'm one of some number of candidates, which I'm honored to be. Nothing has been finalized in any way, shape, or form. "There's been some communication and some facets, but nothing has been put down in writing one way or the other. As far as I am concerned, I'm a candidate for the job, and I'm honored to be one. I think it's a great job. It's one that's a great program in the Pac-10 and in the country. As of right now, Thursday night, my focus is on winning a Pac-10 championship on Saturday."
At this point, neither Sarkisian nor UW have confirmed the reports; however, it would certianly add context to the decisions of Texas Tech coach Mike Leach and Fresno State coach Pat Hill to withdraw from the search yesterday afternoon. That said, it's still not clear to me if UDub pulled the trigger on Sarkisian before or after the rumors of Leach to Auburn began to surface. Sarkisian would definitely be a good, young (34) hire for Washington. Despite his lack of head coaching experience, Sarkisian has been on the sidelines since 2000 as an assistant in the NFL and at Southern Cal, among others. A former QB under Norm Chow, he is largely credited with re-establishing the Trojans offense after Chow departed. I know a lot of UDub fans are fond of Leach, but I think this is probably the best hire that Washington could have made at this point.